Edit events

The Edit is about helping the next generation of Melbourne reporters, producers and editors hone their skills and develop their careers. At semi-regular functions at a CBD venue one or more guests discuss their craft and careers, offering insights, guidance and practical tips over a glass of wine or beer.

You can find more information about past Edit events below, along with links and resources associated with speakers and topics.

The Edit is supported by the Copyright Agency Cultural Fund

The Edit: Caro Meldrum-Hanna

Caro Meldrum-Hanna is one of Australia’s most successful and highly-decorated investigative journalists. The reigning Graham Perkin Australian Journalist of the Year, her revelations about live-baiting brought the greyhound racing industry to its knees. Her expose on the brutal treatment of children in detention in the Northern Territory triggered a Royal Commission. She has won four Walkley awards including the Gold Walkley.

At this special year-end edition of The Edit Caro joined us for an exclusive off-the-record briefing on how she cracked some of the biggest scandals of recent years – and gave tips for handling stories.

Links:

'Australia's Shame' - July 2016 Four Corners report on the NT child detention system, which sparked a royal commission.

'Callous Disregard' - May 2016 Four Corners report on the brutal death of a woman and her family's fight for justice.

'Jackson and Lawlor' - October 2015 Four Corners report on "the highly controversial world of Kathy Jackson and Michael Lawlor".

'Making a Killing' - February 2015 Four Corners expose on the prevalence of live baiting in the grehound racing industry.

The Edit: with Andrew Quilty

A camera and a sense of adventure have taken freelance photojournalist Andrew Quilty from Sydney to the global stage. He is now based in Afghanistan and his coverage of the country’s recovery from war has featured in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Time and last year won him the Gold Walkley.

This very special Edit event was run in partnership with the Walkley Foundation’s Storyology festival and with support from Nikon. Andrew discussed his work as a freelancer in Afghanistan and how the tools of the trade have changed with social media.

The Edit events are open to all early-career journalists, as well as journalism students. This forum was hosted by ABC reporter Stephanie Anderson.

For our first event of 2017, Herald Sun's FOI Editor Fiona Hudson answered all manner of questions about freedom of information journalism, how to get the most of your bureaucratic entanglements and what to do when it all goes awry.

Links and materials:

This handy FOI Cheat Sheet was put together by The Edit moderator Ashlynne McGhee from the night's discussion.

Throughout their illustrious careers, John Silvester and Andrew Rule have turned the torch on some of Melbourne's seediest scenarios. At the final Edit event for 2016, the authors of Underbelly: The Gangland War and the long-running ‘Naked City’ column in The Age talked about career paths, journalistic methods and maintaining relationships with sources.

In September The Edit assembled a special panel to discuss post-traumatic stress. The panel, made up of veteran foreign correspondent Peter Cave, director of the Dart Center Asia PacificDr Cait McMahon, and lawyer Heidi Edwards (who sheltered as gunmen attacked the Westgate Shopping Mall in Kenya) shared their experience and offered valuable advice on reporting on, and dealing with, trauma.

Links and materials:

Dr Cait McMahon recommended some good places to go for help dealing with trauma:

1. Find a Psychologist A database run by the Australian Psychological Society. Cait suggested searching trauma - then interviewing the psychologist to make sure they know their stuff.

2. Traumatic Stress Clinic Based at the Westmead Institute for Medical Research, UNSW - but they work remotely and can at the very least give you some advice about a good psychologist to see in Melbourne.

3. Phoenix Australia Phoenix Australia is a not-for-profit organisation and national centre of excellence that promotes recovery for the 15 million Australians affected by trauma. Phoenix Australia can refer you to qualified support.

Paul Farrell

Guardian journalist Paul Farrell, who has been intensively investigated by the Australian Federal Police for his reporting on national security and asylum seeker policies, joined The Edit in July and spoke candidly about his hard-hitting investigations, his experience of state surveillance and the problem with section 70 of the Crimes Act and other gag laws that threaten public interest reporting in Australia.

A mere mention of Fairfax investigative reporter Adele Ferguson strikes fear into the hearts of unscrupulous corporations, sets politicians running and has PR crisis managers working overtime. Edit guests got a rare insight into her Walkley and Quill award winning investigations when Adele joined us in May to talk frankly about leaks, sources, relationships and how she got into the investigative business.

The Edit kicked off for 2016 in January, when industry veteran and legend Leigh Sales joined us from the world of Sydney television to talk about her career trajectory, interviewing technique and experience at the helm of the country's premier prime time TV current affairs program.